JEDDAH, 12 November 2005 — Pakistan must select the strongest opening pair it has at the moment against England, and a failure to address this would adversely affect its chances in the Test series, that is set to get under way in Multan today.
With England’s morale sky-high after its Ashes win at home against a high-caliber Australian side in the English summer, former chairman of the Pakistan Test selection committee Salahuddin, affably called Sallu, feels that this is the most potent weapon that Pakistan needs to have to blunt England.
But he rued the fact that the country has failed to establish a recognized pair over the years. “After Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail, there’s never been a true solid opening set for Pakistan,” he said, adding that this is where the matches could be won or lost. “Rarely have we got off to a fine start, invariably exposing our main batsmen to early pressure,” Sallu said while saying that though the team has got a man for nearly every position, it is the crucial top three batting spots that give cause for concern.
“Despite trying out a number of players, Pakistan has not been able to find a settled pair. It is also this inconsistency of creating new combination that has led to the opening batsmen playing with a foot on the revolving door. Being pushed out, only to come back to play with another player,” he said.
“Till Pakistan’s coach works on this aspect of the team, the side will always face a tough task. We do have the players, but it is the role of the coach to iron out the wrinkles in the prospective players to create a settled pair at the top. With Younis Khan likely playing one-drop, and the might of Mohammad Yousuf (Yousuf Yohanna) and captain Inzamam, to follow, Pakistan can then think of the luxury of a five-man attack without the fifth man being an all-rounder,” he said.
“That’s an option Inzamam would be able to consider if he had this settled option. He could even press in a double leg spin attack with (Danish) Kaneria and Mushtaq (Muhammad) under his command. But on present position, the captain will have to play the safer option of another specialist batsman or a genuine all-rounder,” Sallu added.
The former Test cricketer who made the team in the late 60s has retired as general manager Interline of Pakistan International Airlines. But he continues his association with the game as a selector. He said the Test series was poised evenly, with the first Test likely being decided on the first day. “The side that bats well on the first day, posting about 350-odd runs, could well dictate the tempo of the Test and maybe the series.”
“There’s not much difference in the relative strengths of the rival pace attacks with the bowlers on both the sides honed in the art of reverse swing. But it is how the batsmen play the rival spinners that could well hold the key to which way the wind would be blowing,” he added.
When asked why Kaneria pushed the ball through fast rather than use guile or just control the ball in the air, Sallu said this is the bane of all bowlers in Karachi. “In order to maintain good figures, they opt for flatter trajectory and speed rather than variety in turn and looping deliveries through the air. This settles their rhythm in the formative years and it is too late to change their style and action. The only thing Kaneria could do is to develop a deceptive slower delivery while bowling with the same action. Look at what Warne accomplishes with his nonchalant run-up to the wicket. It is the variety in his armory that lays the opposition low,” he said.
Sallu was all praise for the new One-Day Series Indian captain Rahul Dravid. “He is a complete player. Tendulkar (Sachin) and Lara (Brian) may have scored more runs, but when they scored it also matters. Dravid has been there for India time and again and his improvisation has been the key to his seamless adaptation from Tests to One-Day cricket.”
When asked about new Indian coach Greg Chappell’s policy of revamping his squad for every match, Sallu said: “Every coach has his style of functioning. He brings in fresh input. Here Chappell must be trying out players in the hope of building for the future. That is a luxury any coach would love to have.”
On the controversy of a team captain changing the field once the bowler has begun his run-up, Sallu was blunt in his assessment. “That’s cheating. The batsman glances around the field not because he likes to see the faces, but to gain insight into the probabilities that the captain and bowler are operating on. For example, a cordon of four slips suggests the possibility of an away swinger and the batsman can position himself for such an option early on. But if a captain changes the field as the bowler steams in, than that is nothing but cheating. The rules are explicit about this and the umpire has to put a stop to it,” he said.
Sallu said despite the abundance of academies in the nation, the team does not have a real strong second string.
“Till Inzamam and Yousuf carry on the middle will be strong. And while they are there, Pakistan should build a nucleus of players who can carry on when the time comes for the veterans to step aside,” Sallu reflected.
“But I don’t see that happening soon (the veterans stepping aside). My only worry is that we will still be trying out different combination if and when this situation arises. But we have the talent pool and the time to set it right. And it has to be from the opening,” he said.
